Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Being healthy to avoid cancer

I freely admit to being fat, extremely lazy and drinking too much. So it was with some trepidation that I read Megan Gibbon's latest blog entry.Being healthy to avoid cancerMegan reports back from a conference in which one of the speakers, Christine Thomson, lists the steps we can take to stay healthy to prevent cancerand other conditions like heart disease:

The nine recommendations are:

Body Fatness - be as lean as possible within a normal range of body weight (waist circumference shouldn't be >102cm for males and >88cm for females)

Physical Activity - be physically active as part of everyday life (30min of exercise every day, and as you get fitter 60min + of moderate exercise or 30min of vigorous exercise)

Foods and Drinks that promote weight gain - limit consumption of calorie dense foods and sugary drinks (did you know we tend to eat the same weight of food each day so the higher the energy density the more calories you eat)

Breastfeeding - Mothers should breast feed exclusively for 6 months and baby's should be breastfed

Taking up Megan's challengeMegan has put out a challenge to take at least one recommendation and make a change to enact that recommendation. Thankfully, I can say that I have achieved the last recommendation, having breastfed both my children.

So my challenge for the week is to restrict my alcohol intake to just one glass a day, or less. I've started easy and hope to take on a recommendation each week.

4 comments:

more exercise.Despite the trek to school and home all day long... it isn't enough.So between the swimming classes wee girlie and I are in starting Saturday, and my resolution to walk for a half hour with her. Every morning while the boys are in school.I hope.I had already set a weight loss goal for the next year. I just needed to have it smack me upside the head.I only have four or six drinks a year, so I'll give you all the ones I'm missing out on okay?:-)

I was re-reading this post and I sound like an alcoholic. I probably have a couple of glasses of wine at supper, three or four time a week. But whilst that doesn't sound that much, it is still over the limit.

Hi Sarah,Physical activity is the biggest challenge for me. I have young children and right now my husband leaves the house early and is back after the kids are asleep--it makes it hard to 'Just Do It!' This week I've tried to get up when hubby does and do ab crunches while he's in the shower and the kids are still sleeping. It's not aerobic activity, but it is helping me feel fitter, which I find makes it easier to make healthy diet choices. The hard part is sticking with a new routine when you first start.

Sarah Stewart

Welcome to my blog which is a mix of talk about stuff that takes my fancy. My views are my own and not necessarily of my employer, the Australian College of Midwives. I am always really interested to hear your thoughts and feedback, so please feel free to leave a comment at any time.